IUCN threat status:

Distribution

Range Description

The Western Ringtail Possum has a restricted distribution in south-western Western Australia; it is found along the coast from south of Bunbury to Waychinicup National Park (near Albany) and in suitable habitat inland, most notably at Perup Nature Reserve and surrounding State forest near Manjimup (Maxwell et al. 1996; de Tores 2008). It was recently recorded in stands of Peppermint near the Harvey River and in Jarrah/Marri forest near Collie (north-east of Bunbury); however, the long term persistence of the species in these areas is not confirmed (de Tores et al. 2004). The Western Ringtail was formerly more widespread: in the 1970s it was known from Casuarina woodlands in the wheatbelt near Pingelly (south-east of Perth), and it is thought to have once occurred throughout much of south-western Western Australia (but not necessarily continuously distributed) (Maxwell et al. 1996; de Tores 2008).